A total of 96 cross-Straits non-stop charter flights an increase
from 72 last year will be operated during the upcoming Spring Festival holidays, a senior official
announced yesterday.
Li Weiyi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State
Council, said the round-trip flights will be operated by six
mainland and an equal number of Taiwan carriers from February 5 to
March 2.
The arrangement was based on an agreement reached in June
between non-governmental aviation associations from both sides, he
told a regular press conference.
The chartered flights are expected to operate between Beijing,
Shanghai and Guangzhou on the mainland, and Taipei and Kaohsiung in
Taiwan.
As in the previous years, the flights are restricted to Taiwan
residents, Taiwan businessmen on the mainland and their family
members.
This will be the fourth year that cross-Straits Spring Festival
charter flights have been in operation.
Due to Taipei's decades-old ban on the three direct links trade,
transport and postal services across the Straits, travellers
usually have to make an extra stop, typically in Hong Kong or
Macao.
In line with a landmark agreement reached between Taiwan and the
mainland in June, the charter flights have been extended to cover
other traditional Chinese holidays including Qingming Festival, or
Tomb-sweeping Day, and Duanwu (Dragon Boat) Festival.
"To better serve people from both sides, we hope aviation
associations from both sides hold talks as soon as possible to
increase the number of places and flights and ease restrictions on
people who can take flights," Li said.
The spokesman also said two Chinese mainland banks have taken
steps to give financial support to Taiwan companies in line with an
agreement with the Taiwan Affairs Office.
China Development Bank and Huaxia Bank have each granted more
than 3 billion yuan (US$ 375 million) in loans to Taiwan companies
in the electronic, chemical, metallurgy, and construction materials
sectors.
(China Daily December 14, 2006)